Community and business leaders announce the formation of The Senator Community Trust LLC to ensure the survival of the cherished historic landmark Senator Theatre.

Baltimore, Maryland, February 25, 2009 – A group of local community and business leaders announced today that they have organized to realize the goal of community-based non-profit ownership and preservation of the historic Senator Theatre.

Recognizing the need for the community to take the leadership in implementation of the vision to establish The Senator as the premiere community-based entertainment and educational venue in the area, the group has formed The Senator Community Trust LLC, which is now in the process of seeking non-profit status.

This vision is based on extensive feedback during a series of public meetings that began in early 2008.

“We’re encouraged by the city’s willingness to get involved. We take that as a very positive sign of their belief in this transition to community-based entertainment and educational facility,” says Sean Brescia of Clearpath Management, who has stepped up to help coordinate the goals of Senator management and The Senator Community Trust.

Brescia adds, “We are grateful for the city’s support of this vision and identification of economic development funds that could be allocated to help with the stabilization and transition process, and look forward to continuing this dialogue with them as we proceed.”

Efforts to preserve and protect the historic Senator Theatre have garnered national attention, most recently when actor David Arquette drew attention to the issue on his MySpace blog. Arquette writes, “Why do I care? Because I’ve seen it, I’ve walked through its sacred halls, I love it and I want my daughter to see it, wander through it in awe, and love it as I do someday soon.”

About The Senator Community Trust LLC: To foster the vision of the Senator Theatre as a community-based non-profit organization, a group of local community and business leaders has organized The Senator Community Trust, LLC. The Senator Community Trust has as its mission the preservation, protection, and restoration of Baltimore’s cherished landmark, the historic Senator Theatre. The Senator Community Trust is working with theatre management toward community ownership of the theatre building.

I am the son of a Baltimore City school teacher who could barely afford a car, let alone movies, but there we were, standing in line with my dad to buy tickets to watch Superman. What a moment! Then, a few years later to watch Ghandi. Historic!

Movies about men who saved others, even if it meant their own demise. What a lesson to learn as a boy. What a lesson to learn at The Senator.

My last movie before moving out of state was to watch the Pride of Baltimore star in Amistad. Movies are somehow more special there. There are few movies where my chest and throat are notted up with the emotion, but walking back into that theatre as a man brought back all the emotions from the movies I watched as a boy.

While our tax dollars (current & future) are busy saving dubious companies, I can think of no better place to donate money and time than The Senator. I fully support the saving of this historic institution.

Last night’s town hall meeting was DISORGANIZED, UNFOCUSED and VERY UNINFORMATIVE! There seems to be NO leadership on the community panel, which is disheartening at BEST! The community MUST put its self promotion, catty commemts aside and use its PASSION and LOVE for the Senator Theatre to find SOLUTIONS and help it survive!

It was PAINFUL to see the community act in such vial behavior last night, especially in front of the man who spent his, time, money and LOVE to fulfill a dream. The community should be ashamed that it has not spent the last year getting the trust in a more organized situation where the public can support its goal of keeping the Senator going in a cultural capacity.

There was a lot of whining about the city not helping. Hello! The Governor of MD, is the ex-Mayor of Baltimore! Why not pursue his office? Why not have a annual charity race to raise funds? Why not get the WORLD involved? The reason why Tom raised the funds last year was because I and others got the story out to WORLDWIDE patrons.

The commitee MUST determine a LEADER of the committee to make a final decision, take the tasks at hand, break them down into subtasks, form small groups of 2-3 people to be assigned to each sub task, have meetings to move forward on items and ACT NOW!

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Mission

More than just an excellent example of classic art deco architecture, this 1939 theatre is not only a Baltimore landmark, but a community hub supporting local non-profit efforts, school programs & surrounding businesses.
We are dedicated to the protection & preservation of this nationally recognized, historic movie palace for generations to come!